I know its out of our state (Admin please feel free to delete if I need to post elsewhere) but I was just wonder if anyone has any information on the quality of deer there? My in-laws have land up there and we are planning a trip up there for next season possibly. Can anyone help me out? Should I just put in for a cow elk?

Thanks in advance!

One of the better elk units in the state...lots of burns in the unit now. Deer will be hit or miss, always tends to be in the high density elk units.

If they have land and you can get a LO permit/tag, then why not? Depending on the season you choose, bull elk may be OTC, but you can likely get a LO tag for them as well.

Seems they would be your best source of information on animals and general quality. I havent hunted in that unit, but have been through it many times and there is a very good MD population, can't say as for elk since the time of year I am there, they are higher.

Well, I'm afraid my definition of quality and their definition of quality might be way off. They are "grandparent in-laws" so they havent hunted up there in quite some time.

Big mule deer and they draw very few tags. I think about 50.
Very hard to draw a tag for unit 76,66,67.

Som' buck..thats not encouraging!

Bull elk isn't OTC...better have a decade worth of points...80 total deer permits and after the winter kill it still hasn't rebounded to the point of ratio objectives meeting requirements for a 4th season. More of an early season high country hunt.

Would it be absolutely crazy to try to get one with a bow?

If you can get a landowner tag for that unit, then go for it. I bow hunted there 5 or 6 years ago and had both elk and deer tags. Elk were my primary target but saw quite a few muleys. Even attempted a stalk on a nice muley buck only to be busted by a young bull elk that barked at me. I was hunting west of the Rio Grande Reservoir and south of the road that goes through there. Regularly saw muley bucks just below the pass on the west side of 76.

Saw some decent bucks in 76 a few years ago as I was scouting to draw a tag. This year I hunted in 66 which is the next unit north of 76. If you go for Archery, be ready to hunt above timberline in some very steep country

Here are the Non Resident points that were required to draw tags this year for 76

Archery - 5
Muzzy - 9
2nd rifle - 4
3rd rifle - 4